Friday 22nd January 2021
WHEN Colin Hosie joined the board of Dumbarton FC, things were much simpler than they are these days.
The club could go from one Saturday to the next, during the season, feeling confident that they’d have a game.
And fans were allowed to attend. With it closing in on a year since supporters were on the sidelines at the C&G Systems Stadium, that idea becomes all the more distant.
This year, Colin will have been a director of DFC for 20 years. He has been chairman during that time and is currently vice-chairman.
Prior to that, he had worked at the club in an administrative role, continuing a family tradition, with his father John having previously served the club as secretary.
Echoing the thoughts of chairman John Steele last week, Colin is missing the chance to have fans in attendance on a matchday.
But he is just as determined as John that when the Covid-19 pandemic ends, Sons will be well-positioned to move forward.
Colin said: “When I first became a director at DFC, I MIGHT have seen myself continuing to be on the board 20 years later.
“It has been an a great experience being part of my hometown club and which my family has supported over the years, and following later in my father’s role.
“I have enjoyed highs and lows and I expect/hope for the highs to return.
“But I would never have expected anything like the last year to happen.
“The chance to be on the sidelines watching our team play is something that many people, over many years, have come to take for granted every Saturday from August to May.
“The past year has made it clear that we can no longer take it for granted. There is no way at all of knowing what is round the corner.
“However, there will come a day when we can all be together again at the C&G Systems Stadium, supporting the Sons.
“The board will continue to do its best through the current circumstances to make sure that when restrictions are lifted, Dumbarton FC is safely out the other side.
“And what a day that will be when we are all able to attend matches again. We don’t know when it will be, but we know it will be special.
“Although, until recently, we had been able to get matches played, matchdays simply do not leave the same impression without supporters in attendance.”
Dumbarton have now been without a game for 34 days, with three games called off due to the weather before the announcement that Scottish football was shutting down outwith the top two tiers of the SPFL.
When the season resumes, Sons will aim to move ahead of their current seventh place, with 18 matches remaining on the schedule.
Colin added: “The season has had its ups and downs so far, but with the number of matches we are due to have left, there remains scope to finish well.
“Losing Kevin Dabrowski and Chris Hamilton after the expiry of their loan spells was a blow, but that is the nature of loan deals. We respect that the players’ parent clubs had their own plans for them and we wish them well.
“We also moved quickly to replace Kevin with Joshua Bradley-Hurst coming in, although he will be wondering just when he is going to get the chance to be in our matchday squad!
“Other squad movements will depend on what happens with the future of the season. Although training and matches are in abeyance, manager Jim Duffy is continuing to look for potential additions to the squad.
“We of course don’t know when our next matchday will be, but let’s hope it is soon.”
Andy Galloway